The rarefied air at the Resisprint meeting in La Chaux de Fonds, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meeting, helped to yield fast times en masse in the sprints on Sunday (2).
There was also a historic performance in the men’s 400m hurdles in which Nick Smidt from the Netherlands clocked a massive lifetime best of 48.36 to break the Dutch record of 48.44 which had stood to Harry Schulting since the 1979 World University Games which were held at high altitude in Mexico City.
"The main goal today was to chase the qualification for the Olympic Games. We succeeded. I had been chasing [Harry] Schulting's [national] record for some time. I knew I could go under. This was a very good race, but after tenth I was a bit off balance, so it can be even faster,” said Smidt as quoted by NOS.
Another national record fell in the women’s 400m hurdles with Belgium’s Hanne Claes revising the record books with 54.33 to eclipse the previous mark of 54.47 set by Paulien Couckuyt to win ahead of Norway’s Line Kloster (54.57) and Finland’s Viivi Lehikoinen (54.68).
Former European indoor champion Wilhem Belocian sped to a lifetime best and European leading time of 13.07 in the 110m hurdles to move to third on the French all-time list behind Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (12.95) and Ladji Doucoure (12.97) before winning the final in a slightly more modest time of 13.28.
European indoor silver medallist Lieke Klaver won the women’s 400m in an outdoor season’s best of 50.40 and Isayah Boers made it a Dutch double with victory in the men’s 400m in 45.42.
Fresh from his victory at the European Athletics Team Championships last weekend, France’s Ryan Zeze lowered his lifetime best in the 200m again to 20.20.
Matusevicius wins again in Parnu
Lithuania’s hero at the European Athletics Team Championships Edis Matusevicius was in winning form again at the Parnu Beach Stadium Meeting, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting, on Sunday (2).
Matusevicius, whose victory in the javelin was crucial in sealing Lithuania’s historic promotion into the top-flight of the European Athletics Team Championships, threw 81.80m in the first round which held off the challenge of Latvia’s Patriks Gailums who improved to 81.74m in the fourth round.
Still on the comeback trail, 2016 Olympic champion Thomas Rohler from Germany was fifth with 78.08m.
In a largely Baltic affair in the women’s javelin, Latvian Anete Kocina won a competitive event with 62.75m ahead of Estonia’s Gedly Tugi (60.65m) and fellow Latvian Lina Muze (60.57m).
Other highlights included Azerbaijan’s Hanna Skydan winning the hammer with 71.86m and decathlon specialist Hans Christian Hausenberg winning the long jump on home soil with 7.65m.